APCHRP Condemns AFP for War Crimes and Gross Violations of Human Rights
As August begins and we commemorate International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Month, the Armed Forces of the Philippines have instead brought violence and blatant disregard for human rights in Southern Tagalog.
On August 2, 2024, the 16th Infantry Battalion and the 2nd Infantry Division launched indiscriminate aerial strafing and bombing operations at around 5 PM in Barangay Maguibuay, Tagkawayan, Quezon, using two helicopters. This sudden attack shocked and terrified the community, forcing farmers and their families to flee and abandon their livelihoods.
The harassment and turmoil brought by the military in Maguibuay is nothing new. We recall that in March 2024, three coconut farmers nearly lost their lives due to the same violent attacks carried out by the 81st Infantry Battalion.
Similar incidents, driven by the bloody counter-insurgency campaign of the Marcos administration, have also stained the island of Mindoro with blood at the hands of the military.
On August 1, elements of the 4th Infantry Battalion (IB) of the Philippine Army mercilessly killed a civilian farmer, Juan Sumilhig, in Sitio Salidang, Barangay Naibuan, San Jose, Occidental Mindoro. The military spread lies, claiming that Sumilhig was a member of the New People’s Army (NPA) to justify and cover up their brutal killing. A fact-finding mission from KARAPATAN Southern Tagalog confirmed that Sumilhig was not a member of the NPA.
On August 7, 2025, KARAPATAN Southern Tagalog received reports of an encounter between the New People’s Army (NPA) and the 1st Infantry Battalion (IB) in Sitio Bagong Pook, Barangay Happy Valley, Roxas, Oriental Mindoro, which allegedly resulted in the deaths of two suspected NPA members. The 203rd Infantry Brigade has been stationed in front of the funeral home where the bodies are being kept. The remains were not released for several days, and the humanitarian team conducting an independent investigation into the incident has faced relentless red-tagging, intimidation, surveillance, and harassment. This is a clear violation of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) and International Humanitarian Law (IHL), which stipulate that the remains of the deceased should not be kept in custody by the military. According to Police Lt. Holden Arellano, Operations Officer, they have no intention of taking custody of the remains and have left the decision to the military.
The military brings nothing to the countryside but fear and killings, targeting poor farmers in rural communities. According to reports from the human rights organization KARAPATAN, from the time Marcos assumed office in June 2022 until June 2025, there have been 67,024 cases of indiscriminate firing, 51,206 cases of indiscriminate bombings, and 45,097 cases of forced evacuation. These figures reflect the countless bombings, harassment, and other atrocities committed in rural areas by military forces.
The Asia Pacific Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (APCHRP) vehemently condemns these continuing attacks, killings, and gross violations of human rights and international humanitarian law perpetrated by the Armed Forces of the Philippines under the Marcos administration’s bloody counter-insurgency campaign. These atrocities target and gravely harm civilians, farmers, and entire rural communities, instilling fear and forcing them to abandon their homes and livelihoods.
We call on the Marcos Jr. government to immediately stop all forms of indiscriminate military operations in civilian communities, withdraw military troops from the countryside, and, most of all, respect and uphold the provisions of the Comprehensive Agreement on Respect for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) and the International Humanitarian Law (IHL), and hold all AFP and PNP accountable for their war crimes.
We urge the international community, human rights defenders, and peace advocates to stand in solidarity with the victims of state-sponsored violence and demand justice and genuine peace in the Philippines.
#DefendSouthernTagalog
#UpholdIHL
#DefendMindoro
#DefendQuezon
